This is certainly not specific to Orlando Magic rookie Cole Anthony, but for the purpose of this blog, we wanted to point out a trend for brands that has really taken hold over the last few years - social media product placement.
Since being drafted, Cole has promoted brand such as Razer and Master Dynamic head phones using his Twitter account, (that's his URL link from his profile) not through a full blown campaign, but simply a product placement photo of him using the product.
1) Athletes and entertainers are "influencers" by nature, so in some cases, this could be equally or potentially more effective as a full blown ad campaign.
2) The right brand-influencer pairing is key and Cole would seem to fit the younger demographic that brands are attempting to appeal to.
3) With the restrictions on game day attendance right now and the potential longer term impact on attendance, we wonder if the access directly to high profile athletes and their personal platforms could be a threat to the traditional property sales model for connecting brands and fan bases.
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